166 titles submitted to Academy for Best Documentary Feature Oscar

Last year, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad; only 166 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced on December 17.

The Academy warns that several films have not yet fulfilled their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying runs, and all films must meet theatrical release requirements and qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.

This year, for the first time, films that have won a qualifying award at an Academy-approved film festival or have been submitted in the Foreign Language Film category as their country’s official selection, are also eligible in the category.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.